Business Secretary Alok Sharma today urged tradespeople across England to step forward and sign up to be able to offer services through the Government’s new Green Homes Grants scheme – as over 1,000 businesses across the country have already applied to do so far.
The £2 billion Green Homes Grant Scheme will see the Government fund up to two-thirds of the cost of home improvements up to £10,000 to make over 600,000 homes across the country more energy efficient, supporting over 100,000 jobs in green construction, cutting carbon emissions and helping people save money on their energy bills.
The scheme will cover green home improvements ranging from insulation of walls, floors and roofs, to the installation double or triple glazing when replacing single glazing, and low-carbon heating like heat pumps or solar thermal – measures that could help families save up to £600 a year on their energy bills.
To take part and offer their services through the scheme, all tradespeople must register with TrustMark. Where tradespeople are installing energy efficiency measures, they must also be certified to installation standards. To install low carbon heat measures, tradespeople must be TrustMark registered and certified through the Microgeneration Certification Scheme for the relevant heating technology.
Anyone wishing to do so can simply register with TrustMark via their website, with accreditation taking as few as five working days for those who already have membership of a recognised trade body such as the Federation of Master Builders, the Cavity Insulation Guarantee Agency and Building Engineering Services Association, or who are already certified under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme.
Mr Sharma’s call to companies came as he visited Instagroup in Wokingham, where he saw how people there can use their expert skills to make homes more energy efficient.
Business and Energy Secretary Alok Sharma said:
“The Green Homes Grant scheme will not only cut emissions and make a serious dent in people’s energy bills, but will create new work for many thousands of talented builders, plumbers and other tradespeople right across the UK.
“Today I’m urging businesses to sign up and get TrustMark accredited so they can crack on and offer their services to households across the country when the scheme opens.”
Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the Federation of Master Builders, said: “In a world where anyone can set themselves up as a builder, I welcome the Government’s emphasis on accreditation for tradespeople and quality assurance as part of the Green Homes Grants scheme. This will help ensure that only high quality work is carried out, and consumers are protected.
“The FMB is a provider of TrustMark, and I believe that a recognisable scheme such as this will give homeowners the confidence they need to carry out building works and help boost jobs in the industry.”
Simon Ayers, chief executive of TrustMark said: “The £2bn Green Homes Grant scheme is the best kickstart we could have hoped for, 24 million homes require improvements to enable us to meet the government’s 2050 net zero carbon target. As we undertake this journey, the construction and energy industries will play a vital role in the delivery of low carbon homes, providing healthier and more comfortable living conditions.
“TrustMark is working hard with their Scheme Providers to increase the numbers of TrustMark Registered Businesses so we can meet the demand of the Green Homes Grant scheme. Businesses can join and select a Scheme Provider that can support their application”.
The Business Secretary also spoke today to organisations including Certass, the Microgeneration Certification Scheme, the National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting, Federation of Master Builders, and National Association of Professional Inspectors and Testers who will be encouraging their members to sign up to the TrustMark and get certified to the relevant standards so they can complete work paid in part through the Green Homes Grant.
